jayeff

I had this book published 20 years ago (and amazingly it's still in print, albeit now in a softcore edition). Frankly it was a nightmare.

I had very carefully chosen a publisher who had a good reputation, got my contract, advance, etc. Then about 6 months later she sold her whole business to probably the one publisher I wouldn't have gone within a mile of.

Even getting the book published without being ruined (because he kept trying to cut corners) was a struggle, but eventually it was (and became a best seller for 3+ years). When royalties were due, I had to hire a lawyer to get paid.

Practically you either go for it or you don't. It's rare for a new author to be taken up by a major publishing house and the reality is that most books don't sell in large numbers. So if you are unlucky enough to pick a bad publisher who doesn't pay royalties as he should, it may not be worth chasing them.

Don't be mislead by talk about marketing. The sums involved can be huge and no-one will spend serious money unless they are absolutely sure they have a hit on their hands. The best the average author can hope for is that his publisher is at least able to place his book with the big distributors.

The alternative is "vanity publishing", where you pay for the book to be printed yourself and you are also responsible for selling it. That has worked for some, spectacularly in a couple of cases, but that is also a field full of rogues and villains.